Stanford football head coach Buddy Teevens addressed the media about his 2004 club prior to the team's homecoming contest versus Oregon this Saturday, October 23 (2:00 pm, PDT).

Opening Remarks
"It was nice to win (last Saturday at Washington State), but we need to play much better."

On The Play Of Freshman Mikal Brewer
"Mikal Brewer did a remarkable job. He had his first start at Norte Dame a week ago as a left guard. He took very few snaps at the center position and a few plays into the game he was in at center. A redshirt freshman starting two games consecutively, in two different positions, speaks well of the preparation (offensive line) coach Morton has put in with him, and also the young man's ability to digest a couple of positions and compete."

On Trent Edwards' Collision With Washington State's Will Derting
"Derting's a tough guy to run into, but it's a tough guy that ran into him as well. "

On Trent Edwards' Initial Moments On The Turf After The Collision
"I'd like to think he was thinking, `Why did I just run into this kid instead of sliding?' The idea of self-preservation I don't think ever crosses his mind. We talked to him, he did slide a couple of times earlier, but in that situation he just took the hit full on. We would like to have him avoid those if he can."

On The Second Half Against Washington State Compared To The Second Halves Against Norte Dame and USC
"I think it was a defining moment for the team. We were close against USC and got nervous. We were close against Norte Dame and didn't finish. At Washington State, we were close in a hostile environment and the players responded. We allowed some big plays defensively. It hurt that we didn't make a couple plays offensively that we could have, but when all three components had to come together, the offense drove that ball for the field goal at the end, consumed a bunch of time, and executed well. We finally got in that situation and had success with it. In the future, we can think `Hey, I've been there before and had success.' The belief has been established."

On Whether The Second Half Situation Will Come Up Again
"There's no question. You look at the conference, and it's so consistent and balanced right across the board. You have to play well every Saturday, and certainly that's a challenge. Health can enter the equation. Guys have been well weight trained, well conditioned, and they've maintained their health. We are playing a lot of players also with 55-60 a game and that's helping with the longevity. Oregon is a tough physical football team and everyone from that point on for the rest of our schedule is as well."

On The Improving Oregon Offense
"Quarterback Kellen Clemens is developing rapidly. He's a good decision maker and an athletic individual who is not afraid to run the football and is tough to contain. Demetrius Williams and Marcus Maxwell are talented receivers with speed. They spread the ball around in innovative ways with shuffle passes and other things to keep you off-balance. Offensively, they continue to get better week after week. Defensively, they don't give up much. They hover around the 300-yard per game average against some pretty good opponents. They're physical with the run. They haven't been a big blitz team, but they're not afraid to man-up their wide receivers with their secondary, which has real good speed. Again, with the pressure from the secondary, our receivers will need to have a very good game against some talented people. They tackle extremely well also."

On Stanford's Defense Going Up Against Good Pass Offenses
"We need to play well and pressure the passer. We've done a decent job through the course of the year of forcing the quarterback to throw the ball and find a receiver quickly. We've been okay at not allowing a lot of big pass plays. The ones that we have allowed have certainly hurt. Those have been minimized by the fact that we play a lot of zone coverage. (Oregon quarterback Kellen) Clemens has mobility and if you cover people, he's not afraid to tuck it and run. That can hurt you athletically. They also protect him quite well, so it'll be quite a challenge. They're a formidable offensive group, and have been for years, especially with the way Clemens has played the past few games. We'll have our hands full."

On The Different Running Styles Between J.R. Lemon And Kenneth Tolon
"J.R. is more of a power type guy and Kenneth has more of a `wiggle.' They both do a good job of making cuts, and I think they compliment one another. It makes it difficult for a defense to prepare for both of them at the same time. The way we've been running the ball, we've kind of gone with the hot hand. They'll both play this week."

On The Performance Of Kicker Michael Sgroi
"His performance has been very important. We've been moving the ball well and gotten in a position to get points. We'd like to finish off opportunities (with touchdowns), but he's been very consistent. His last field goal on Saturday (a career-high 47-yarder) was very critical. He's playing with great confidence and has shown great maturity. I have great confidence that he is ready to go. He has a very powerful leg and has been consistent as of late."

On Stanford's 3-4 Defensive Alignment
"One of the premises behind it is to keep people guessing. The idea is that someone is coming and the offense doesn't know who it is. (Defensive coordinator) A.J. Christoff has done a very nice job mixing and matching protections. The guys are comfortable with the schemes. We made the switch to put more athleticism on the field and it's worked so far."

On Playing A Number Of Different Linebackers
"We like to keep people fresh. They've all had opportunities to perform and have grown as a result of it. Philosophically, we feel like we have a lot of depth and we should use it to our advantage. We also do it in the defensive front and if you can spell guys, it can help throughout the duration of the season."

On The Attitude Of The Team
"The leadership on this team has been tremendous. The commitment and unselfishness of the older guys has been huge for this team. Having success just encourages that feeling more. It's reflected in practice the way they work and hold each other to a high degree of accountability. We have guys that are passionate about this sport and it shows."